Rocky on road to recovery following terrier attack
Pat Houghton from Fordham with her family and pony Rocky.
The owner of a pony savaged by a Staffordshire bull terrier in Fordham last month has thanked people for their messages of support.
Rocky, a 32-year-old palomino, was grazing in a paddock behind his owner’s home in Carter Street on December 2 when the attack took place.
The animal suffered a deep wound on its neck that had gone through the vein, and other wounds to its face and neck which required stitches.
Magistrates last month ordered the dog’s owner to keep his pet muzzled and on a lead while outdoors or face it being destroyed.
Patricia Houghton, who bought Rocky for her daughter, Kim, almost 10 years ago, said Rocky was battling back to fitness.
“He’s getting on okay, but what happened to him was truly awful,” she told the Journal.
“If my husband and son had not been in the garden and heard a commotion, God knows how we would have found him.
“He was trembling and disorientated when we got to him. He suffered head and neck injuries and a pierced vein in his neck, leaving him bleeding profusely.
“My son used a blanket to plug the vein as he was losing a lot of blood.
“If it had not been for that and the vet arriving so quickly then it could have been a lot worse.”
She added: “He’s recovering nicely. He was kept in his stable for a week after the attack but now he’s back in the paddock.
“There’s one wound which is still bleeding a bit after a month but he’s quite happy in his paddock grazing again.”
Mrs Houghton said her family had been inundated with phone calls and cards from people wishing Rocky a speedy recovery.
She added: “It is so pleasing to know so many people enquired about the welfare of our pony.
“We can’t thank people enough for their kind words.
“We would also like to thank David Scott of the Isle of Ely Veterinary Centre and his team for their help in treating Rocky so quickly after the attack.”
Before his retirement Kim rode Rocky to victory in a number of show jumping competitions and cross country events.
Mrs Houghton added: “He’s quite a character and people always stop and talk to him as they’re passing the paddock.”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Newmarket
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North
